1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to document services and, more particularly, to systems and methods that facilitate the obtainment of electronic document services in a secure manner.
2. Description of Related Art
Users or creators of documents often employ various document-related services, such as secure transmission, printing, duplication, certification, and filing of the documents. Some document-related services are offered by service providers, such as Federal Express, UPS, Kinko""s, etc. To use one of these services, the user must print out the document and physically take the document to the service provider or otherwise arrange for the document to be delivered to the service provider.
Other document-related services are offered over the Internet. To use one of these services, the user must create the document using document creation software, such as Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect, or otherwise obtain an electronic version of the document. The user must then activate web browser software, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, and locate the service provider on the Internet. The user normally must register with the service provider and then provide the document to the service provider.
In addition, users often have to execute software, such as a print driver or third party software outside the application to create electronic versions of the document suitable for uploading to the service provider. Often, users also need to close the document on which they are working.
In any event, it is a time-consuming process to obtain document-related services. Further, the confidentiality of the documents is usually not assured. As a result, there is a need for mechanisms that facilitate the obtainment of document-related services in a secure manner.
Systems and methods consistent with the present invention address this and other needs by providing electronic document services in a secure manner to a user directly from the graphical user interface of the document preparation software used to create the document. The systems and methods may also provide progress information regarding performance of the electronic document services to the user.
In accordance with the purpose of the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, a system obtains one or more document services for a document directly from a document preparation software application used to create the document. The system activates a graphical user interface within the document preparation software application, contacts a server to identify available document services, and configures the graphical user interface based on the available document services. The system detects selection of one of the available document services and provides the document from the document preparation software application to one or more service providers for performance of the selected document service.
The system may receive progress information regarding performance of the selected document service and present the progress information within the document preparation software application. The progress information may be provided in the form of a graphical progress meter, a pop-up window, or a drop-down window, possibly within a display of the graphical user interface.
In another implementation consistent with the present invention, a graphical user interface stored in a computer facilitates the obtainment of document services for a document. The graphical user interface is implemented within a document preparation application used to create the document. The graphical user interface includes instructions for contacting a server to identify available document services; instructions for configuring a plurality of graphical selectable objects based on the available document services, each of the graphical selectable objects corresponding to one of the available document services; instructions for detecting selection of one of the available document services based on selection of one of the graphical selectable objects; and instructions for providing the document from the document preparation application to one or more service providers for performance of the selected document service.
In yet another implementation consistent with the present invention, a server, in communication with one or more clients to provide a plurality of document services, includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store data regarding the plurality of document services. The processor is configured to receive a request from a client for information regarding available ones of the document services, provide the requested information to the client to permit the client to configure a graphical user interface, obtain a document from the client and a selection of one of the available document services, and perform the selected document service on the document. In alternate implementations, the client itself performs some of these operations.
In a further implementation consistent with the present invention, a system obtains document services. The system includes a document preparation application and a graphical user interface. The document preparation application is configured to create a plurality of documents. The graphical user interface is integrated within the document preparation application. The graphical user interface includes a plurality of graphical selectable objects. Each of the graphical selectable objects corresponds to one of a plurality of document services. The graphical user interface configures the graphical selectable objects based on available ones of the document services, detects selection of one of the graphical selectable objects, and provides a document created by the document preparation application to one or more service providers for performance of the document service corresponding to the selected graphical selectable object.
In another implementation consistent with the present invention, a document preparation application, executed on a computer, includes instructions for activating a toolbar, the toolbar containing a plurality of selectable objects; instructions for contacting a server to identify available document services; instructions for configuring the selectable objects based on the available document services, each of the selectable objects corresponding to one of the available document services; instructions for detecting selection of one of the selectable objects; instructions for collecting processing instructions relating to a document prepared using the document preparation application; and instructions for sending a document and the processing instructions over a secure communications path to one or more service providers for performing the available document service corresponding to the selected object.
In yet another implementation consistent with the present invention, an automated method obtains one or more document services for a document directly from a document preparation software application used to create the document. The method includes activating a graphical user interface within the document preparation software application; configuring the graphical user interface to include a plurality of predetermined selectable objects, each of the selectable objects corresponding to one of a plurality of different document services; detecting selection of one of the document services; and providing the document from the document preparation software application to one or more service providers for performance of the selected document service.